Why you are Really Creating for Two during the Holiday Season

This guest post was written by Allisa Jacobs.

The holiday season is an exciting time for online creative businesses. The virtual hustle and bustle breathes vitality into your shop and the rush of orders keeps you on our toes. In the frenzy of gift wrapping and last minute shopping, it can be easy to overlook an awesome opportunity though. For online shops, the holidays mean youre creating for two.

Youre creating for buyers but also their mums, daughters, friends, co-workers, relatives, and secret-santa partners – the recipients of their gifts. These are people who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to get to know your products or who are new to the handmade scene in general. So look at this period of gift-giving jubilee as a golden moment to welcome new folks to your brand.

Here are three tips on how to make the most of this wonderful opportunity and earn loyalty from both gift giver and receiver:

1. Make it gifty: While its certainly beneficial to offer super-lovely packaging year round, going the extra mile to prepare your orders for gift-giving can really set your item and shop apart from the rest. Buyers really do appreciate the tissue paper, gift cards, boxes, ribbon and such to make their order ready to share.
Plus, not only are you taking the burden off your customer, youre also ensuring your item will look its best when presented to someone else!

2. Make it theirs: It can be challenging to offer during the holidays, but any sort of personalization makes for an ultra-thoughtful gift. Whether its a gift card with the package sent directly to the recipient or adding that extra customized touch to your product is a sure fire way to make your shop remarkable to them both.

On a personal note, during my first year selling on Etsy, a husband contacted me asking for a custom pouch with fabric and details he thought his wife would enjoy. It was created and shipped with much anticipation and covertness. She was absolutely overjoyed, both with the thoughtfulness of her husband and with my handiwork. Three years later, she is one of my most loyal and supportive customers.

3. Make it easy:  Imagine someone gleefully opening up their gorgeously packaged gift sent to them by Aunt Bea in Kansas to find your amazing item tucked inside! Smitten and intrigued, they want to know more. They just HAVE to see more from this brand. In fact, they want to tell their whole world about this lovely handmade gift made by”¦made by”¦uh”¦who made this? Theres a tag without a website and of course Aunt Bea lost the business card. Googling produces 11,234 hits for something else. How will they ever find you?

Make it easy for your gift recipient. Perhaps attach a hang tag, include business cards for buyer and recipient, purchase those labels youve been putting off, and ensure your brand name is Googleable.

There you have it. Three tips to make your shop really stand out this holiday season. Not just for your current customers, but for your future ones as well.

Have your own tips to share for the holidays?

Leave your response in the comments below.

image credit mini animal snowflakes

About the author: Allisa is the dreamer and designer behind the Allisa Jacobs line of handbags and accessories. She love the process of making from sketch to finish. She also enjoys sharing her entrepreneurial insights and wrote an e-book, Rise & Shine, to help others develop their creative small businesses.